The Progress., 1887-12-10
While progress is reported here

tics which are given, what has
been done. Of course they arc
Indians who have done this; but
what kind Of Indians They are
Indians like myself who have had
the benefit Of education; Indians
like these people sitting here who
have had the benefits Of the same.
When man owns and culti.
Yates from 100 to $50 acres fo1
himself, you will find he is mixed.
blood, or a man who has married
into our race, and that man makes
a good showing. But we are al
indians in the eyes Of the law, and
and the agents to make a COCA
shouting, put this all in as having
been done by the Indians; but
where is the Indian in the whole
OF it? He does not raise or cult.
vate one-eight Of the whole amount
that is reported in these statis-
tics.
l mean the full-bloods. This
thing has been wrong from the
start. In the first place, there is
talent among the people of our
reservation. There are men here
who are better educated than
am, and God forbid that [ should
utter anything but the fact, but
must utter the words that are the
truth. We have been hampered in
such a way that EDUCATION WAS A
BANE.
The question may be asked,
Why do the children not 90 to
school?-Why do you want to
send your children to school ?
Don't you know that schooling
and education beget criticism? It
is that miserable law that was en-.
acted, which your own people sir,
would detest to live under. After
working and spending all our days
to earn little something to put
it on a place, the first thing you
say or remark about an agent or a
missionary that remark is report
ed to Washington and then they
take you and deprive you Of all
your labors and put you off Of your
reservation.
The great detriment that there
is on this reservation, the difficulty
that arises amongst us, is this:
The little education we have re-
ceived has enabled US to read that
great and glorious Declaration Of
independence of the American
people; and would you blame me
for claiming that under your own
/aws all men are born FREE AND
EQUAL? It is impossible.
1t has been stated that law
would bring us right on an equal.
ity with the American: citizen,
But, my goodness, [ wish I was
only twenty-five or thirty years
old, so that could soar on youl
American eagles wings. But am
getting too old for that. [ see the
grave before me, and whatever
testimony you ask me to give,
will give it as United States in.
terpretor. I have been put under
oath. There may be some cues.
tions you will put here where
have to interpret these things and
it cannot but be possible that ]
may not retain in my poor head.
less encyclopaedia everything that
has been told me.
You ask me how are they pro.
gressing.' How can people pro.
gress when they have nothing tc
progress with? But still sir, if you
are pleased to see the idea thai
these Indians are laboring under
and their wish, to use a Western
phrase, ''to get there look at the
statistics. You will find sir, that
there is a great number Of Indians
who will show wheat fields of from
5 to 10 acres who have not a woke
OF cattle to work them, and who
try to cultivate that much fo,
themselves without any help ex.
cept through their own exertions,
| should think that would set at
rest the idea that the Indians are
lazy and do not wish to advance
Then IN tha nnv+ 49, ~,